All Souls Day

Tonight at 6 p.m., we will have an All Souls Day service. All Souls Day is the traditional twin to All Saints. In earlier times when the emphasis of All Saints was the superheroes of the faith, All Souls was a day for remembering all the rest of the faithful departed. In recent years, we have recovered the New Testament concept that all of us are saints. Yet, All Souls remains a day for remembering those who have died.

While those we know and love who die are no longer present to us, we trust that they are still present to God as Jesus told the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise." So while we can no longer be with those we love, we can not only remember them, we can also remember them to God in prayer.

The main purpose of tonight's service is remembrance. So often we who have lost someone dear to us experience that others stop remembering. We know longer get a chance to talk about the people we love even though we still grieve. This service offers a chance to remember those we love who have died in the context of worship, assured that God has never forgotten him or her for a moment either and that all is well.

"Remember" is strong word, even if we attach weak meaning to it these days. When something has been dismembered, to re-member is to put the members back together. To put this crudely, to reattach a severed arm is also to remember and it is from this that we get our current word connected with memory. The severed arm analongy is probably not overstating the case as the grief in the death of someone close to you is initially, just as wrenching. Losing a child a spouse or someone similarly close is as difficult as losing part of your own body.

It is in remembering someone we love to God that this very real pain of grief can begin to lessen. In re-membering, we are brought back together in some way. This is no where more true than in the worship of Holy Communion. In communion, we commune with God and through God with all those with whom God is in communion. So it is natural that through our common worship of God we are closest to the faithful departed.

Saint Monica, who prayed her son Augustine to faith (he was pretty wild, but she kept trusting God and in time he converted) over a long period of time told him when she died that he could do what ever he wanted with her body when she died for it was of no consequence. She only asked that he remember her before the altar. I think she knew that it is through God, who knew and continues to know our loved ones that we have the closest connection, so it is so very appropriate to remember them in the context of worship.

Those coming to the communion service tonight may bring photos to lay on the altar as a visual reminder that the people we remember are with God. We will also offer a time for anyone who wishes to do so to come forward, light candles and name aloud as many people as they wish to remember before God. I always find this to be a meaningful worship service and I hope if this post stirs something in your heart, you will trust the Holy Spirit and come join us in remembering those we love who have died.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church